When it comes to socks, you get what you pay for. At the lowest end of the range are socks made from loosely woven cotton. These tend to be fairly shapeless, and they provide only minimal protection to the feet. From there, socks progress steadily upward in both quality and cost, finally topping out with the socks intended for specific athletic pursuits. These foot garments feature both cuts and materials specially designed to keep the wearer's feet as comfortable as possible under certain conditions. Athletic socks include those intended for hiking, skiing, running, tennis, American football, soccer and many others.

Feet sweat. It's an unattractive fact of life, but nevertheless true. The average foot has 250,000 sweat glands, and the average pair produce a little over one cup of perspiration per day. Most shoes, of course, have no absorptive lining, so if a person is wearing shoes with no socks, that perspiration has nowhere to go. Humans have been using socks to deal with this problem for thousands of years. The ancient Greeks wore socks, as did the Romans. These were made from matted animal hair (for warmth), leather or woven fabrics.

Modern socks can be made from a wide variety of materials; cotton, wool, nylon, acrylic, polyester, olefin (a synthetic fiber), polypropylene (a thermoplastic molecule), spandex, wool, silk, linen, cashmere, mohair or any combination thereof can be used to fabricate these foot garments. However, when it comes to athletics, certain fabrics are more desirable than others. Runners' socks, for example, often feature acrylic fibers. Such materials are efficient in wicking moisture away from the feet. They do not absorb and retain sweat as cotton does. Acrylic fibers also retain their shape when wet. Cotton tends to stretch when it comes into contact with moisture, which can lead to bunched socks and discomfort for the wearer. This combination of characteristics makes acrylic materials a good choice for athletes like runners and tennis players.

Socks designed for hiking are similar to those intended for other athletics in that the ability to wick away moisture is desirable. However, while sports socks are usually fairly thin, allowing for greater agility of movement, hiking socks tend to be rather thick, and they often feature extra padding at key locations. The ball of the foot, the heel, the top of the foot and the ankle are subjected to repeated impacts and friction while hiking, so padding in those areas helps to prevent blisters. And while some hiking socks use only synthetic materials, some use wool, which will keep the wearer's feet warmer on high altitude hikes.

Skiing socks are similar to hiking socks in that they need to keep the wearer's feet warm and dry. They are often made of wool, and good quality ski socks will have padding for both the feet and shins. Ski socks, especially those intended for downhill skiing, come up high on the leg, usually to just below the knee. The best of them are often quite thin, because downhill ski boots are extremely tight. If the sock is too thick, circulation to the feet will be cut off, which can have disastrous results in cold conditions. So while hiking socks can be quite thick, skiing socks must walk the line between padding the feet and making sure that blood flow is not interrupted.